Mark Warns ADC Members Against Sabotage, Divisive Politics

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has cautioned party members against actions capable of deepening divisions, including inflammatory statements, unnecessary litigation and internal sabotage.

Mark, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the party’s National Reconciliation and Peace Committee at the ADC national secretariat.

He charged the committee to resolve grievances arising from the ADC’s recently concluded primary elections and unite members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing the 11-member committee, Mark said the initiative was aimed at “strengthening the party, healing wounds, rebuilding trust and ensuring that every member of the ADC feels valued and carried along.”

He acknowledged that while the primaries produced winners, they also generated disappointments and grievances that must be addressed before the party entered the 2027 electoral contest.

According to him, “an election may determine who carries the flag, but it must never determine who belongs to the party.”

He urged successful candidates to see their victories as a responsibility rather than an opportunity to sideline their former opponents, stressing that unsuccessful aspirants and their supporters remained important assets to the party.

“Those who did not emerge victorious remain valuable members of the ADC. Their experience, networks, structures and commitment remain important assets,” he said.

The party chairman charged the reconciliation committee to engage aspirants, candidates, party leaders and other stakeholders in constructive dialogue, identify grievances, address legitimate concerns and rebuild trust among members.

He also urged members to prioritise internal mechanisms for resolving disputes, while acknowledging their constitutional right to seek justice.

The committee is expected to recommend measures for integrating unsuccessful aspirants and their supporters into the party’s structures, as well as establish zonal sub-committees to sustain reconciliation efforts.

“There must be no internal sabotage. No politics of revenge. No permanent winners and no permanent losers. We are one political family,” he declared.

Mark said the ADC could not afford to approach the 2027 elections as a divided house, insisting that the party must coordinate its structures, respect its democratic processes and resolve its differences without undermining the institution.

“Our real challenge is not the ADC member who contested against you. Our real challenge is to build a united political platform capable of winning the confidence of Nigerians in 2027,” he said.

The chairman appealed to aggrieved members to embrace reconciliation, successful candidates to extend a hand of fellowship to defeated contestants, and party leaders to lead by example.

He said the ADC must demonstrate internally the kind of Nigeria it hopes to build, “where differences are managed with maturity, diversity is respected and disputes are resolved peacefully.”

He charged members of the committee to “build bridges, heal wounds, restore confidence and bring our members together.” According to him, the exercise was not merely about resolving political disagreements but also about strengthening the character, unity and electoral capacity of the party.

Responding, the chairman of the committee, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, pledged to resolve internal grievances through justice, transparency and dialogue.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Ogbeha acknowledged grievances arising from the party’s primaries and internal structures, urging members to put the interest of Nigeria and the party above personal ambitions.

The panel chair said the committee would listen to aggrieved members, heal wounds and rebuild trust, while ensuring fairness in resolving disputes.

He appealed to members to make sacrifices and remain tolerant, noting that losing an opportunity in the 2027 election would not end their political ambitions.

“If we don’t succeed in what we are looking for this time around, four years is not too long. There will be another opportunity to present yourself,” he said.

Ogbeha said the committee would work with honesty, transparency and due diligence to reconcile members and strengthen the party’s chances of winning the next election.

He thanked the party’s National Chairman and National Working Committee for entrusting the committee with the responsibility.